The Arizona Cardinals are one of the more intriguing teams in the league that folks are keeping tabs on ahead of the upcoming 2026 NFL Draft. The Cardinals are undergoing a rebuild, but to this point, they have had a fairly quiet offseason. That has put a lot of pressure on the front office to put together a strong body of work once the draft rolls around.
Armed with the No. 3 overall pick in the first round, Arizona is reportedly looking to trade back from this spot, but it remains to be seen if it will find a willing suitor. Later on in the draft, the team is expected to take a long look at Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback Ty Simpson. In fact, according to NFL insider Jeremy Fowler of ESPN, it sounds like it may be a shock at this point if Simpson doesn’t find his way to the Cardinals.
Cardinals Remain Ty Simpson’s Top Landing Spot in 2026 NFL Draft
The spot where the Cardinals have witnessed the most turnover this offseason is the quarterback position. Kyler Murray got released after he essentially lost the starting job to Jacoby Brissett last year, with the team signing Gardner Minshew IV to come in and be his backup. Brissett will presumably be the bridge to whoever Arizona decides is its next quarterback of the future.
The 2026 draft class isn’t exactly loaded at the quarterback position, but Simpson has emerged as a potential target for the team in the late first round/early second round. In his first and only season as a starter for Alabama, Simpson enjoyed a strong season, as he threw for 3,567 yards and 28 touchdowns in 15 games of action.
Simpson doesn’t exactly have a high ceiling in the eyes of some evaluators, but he’s an NFL-ready quarterback who could step in and start come Week 1. The Cardinals have Brissett, so they don’t necessarily need Simpson to come in and start right away, but according to Fowler, many folks around the league believe that Arizona is the most likely landing spot for the Alabama star in the draft.
“Arizona is the team that comes up most often when I ask teams about Ty Simpson. It’s hard to find a natural home for him otherwise,” Fowler said on “SportsCenter.” “The question for Arizona can be, do they have to move up into the late first round to get him? Simpson has believed all along he should go somewhere in the first … Arizona’s gotta make that move.”
Should the Cardinals Draft Ty Simpson?
GettyAlabama quarterback Ty Simpson could be a late first-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Simpson’s fit with the Cardinals certainly makes sense, as the team could develop behind the scenes, before turning things over to him when the combination of Brissett and Minshew runs its course. The main issue for Arizona involves figuring out when to select Simpson. It could trade back from the No. 3 pick, or it could look to move its early-second round pick (No. 34) in order to get back in the first round if they believe that another team is plotting a move for Simpson.
Fernando Mendoza is the clear-cut top option at the quarterback position in this draft class, but Simpson has been the No. 2 guy for quite some time now. He doesn’t have a truly clean fit in this draft, but the Cardinals make the most sense for him. Arizona’s draft plan will depend heavily on what it does with the No. 3 overall pick, but don’t be surprised if the front office finds a way to put itself in a position to bring Simpson to town when all is said and done.
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